


24/01/2019: Rescued

by pop_incognito



Series: 365 Drabbles [24]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Love at First Sight, M/M, Magic, Sea Witch!Nao, incomplete work, shipwrecked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 20:43:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17535914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pop_incognito/pseuds/pop_incognito
Summary: Natsuya is rescued by a sea witch in more ways than one.





	24/01/2019: Rescued

**Author's Note:**

> This is a companion piece to yesterday's Hiyoiku 'Shipwrecked'. Ages ago I had been entertaining the idea of a Little Mermaid AU with the Kirishima's sharing the part of the prince (in different ways), Hiyori as the little mermaid, and Nao as the sea witch. I never actually put any words to paper, but some of my prompts have been perfect, so I've been writing little mini scenes. Like I said yesterday, I'm not really committed enough to write the whole thing as a proper fic, so these snippets will probably be all there is to it. Although, there will be more, so I might collect them all into a series at some point, who knows. Anyway, I hope this makes sense, I wrote it at 5am and was kind of rambling as I wrote it.

Natsuya doesn’t remember the shipwreck, but he remembers what happened after. The shock of cold that had taken hold of him as he and Ikuya leaped into the water from the deck of the ship, the stunning pain of cracking his head against the wooden hull as it was split from the rest of the ship after Natsuya had been dragged underneath it in the swell of an undercurrent. He remembers thinking that he was going to die down there in the water, helpless as consciousness slipped away.

He remembers seeing the… the _thing_ that pulled Ikuya away from the ship, half a human and half a bronze fish.

There is one more memory. The _giant_ silver serpent looming up out of the depths, the long coils of its body wrapping around Natsuya and dragging him down, _down_ …

A hacking cough racks itself through Natsuya’s chest and he heaves, tepid seawater bubbling over his lips and splashing onto the pale pink rocks he is lying on. He shivers, freezing cold, and squints around and what appears to be a cave. One that is very far under water, if the temperature and the darkness tells him anything. Something is moving in the pitch-black depths of the cave, soft slithering sounds and the quiet ripples of water reaching his swimming ears. A flash of silver catches his eye.

What emerges from the shadows is a creature of legend. Far from the terrifyingly monstrous serpentine head that had cut through the water towards him as the ship sank, the… well, the _man_ before him is beautiful, his face all dainty lines, a pretty smile, and gently downturned eyes hiding behind long silver hair. Elegant shoulders lead down to a graceful body, pale skin that shines like moonlight turning into mirrored scales that coat a long snake-like tail that disappears into the large pool in the centre of the cavern. Natsuya is enraptured, staring unashamedly as the gorgeous creature moves closer to him.

“Who are you?” he manages to choke out, his throat feeling raw and pickled from the salt.

“My kin call me mother fish,” the man says, his voice like water trickling over pebbles. Soothing. _Enticing_. “But the name given to me is Nao.”

Natsuya licks his lips. “Nao,” he repeats slowly, and suddenly Nao is right in front of him, observing Natsuya with curious eyes and an unreadable expression. “My name is-”

“I know what your name is, Natsuya,” Nao whispers, his cold, cold hands reaching out and brushing over Natsuya’s throat. He is close enough for Natsuya to see the wickedly sharp fishbones woven into Nao’s hair, the slits of his pupils, and the deadly points of his teeth behind those plush lips. “I can hear your thoughts.” And he taps a long, clawed finger to his temple. “You yearn for freedom, don’t you, Natsuya? Freedom from your fate as heir to your father’s kingdom?”

Natsuya nods without even thinking about it, totally under the spell of this creature that can’t possibly exist. Nao is all around him now, his tail holding Natsuya half up off the rocks as Nao strokes his hands over Natsuya’s shoulders. “I don’t want to be king,” Natsuya says, his head lolling back as Nao leans in to flick his tongue over Natsuya’s cheek. Unlike the rest of him, Nao’s mouth is blindingly hot, and Natsuya yearns for more of that heat, chilled to the bone as he is. “I just want to explore the sea. Ikuya was always the more princely of the two of us…” he trails off, blinking. “Where’s my brother?”

“Safe,” Nao says, and offers no further information other than, “you can see him soon.” Nao hums, so close to Natsuya’s face that Natsuya can feel the vibrations against his cheek. “What if I told you I could grant your freedom? I have… certain magical abilities. My kin often come to mother fish to grant their wishes.” His tongue brushes over the seam of Natsuya’s lips. “I can do that for you too. Leave Ikuya to the kingdom, and you to me?”

Natsuya shivers, and heat finally starts to bloom inside him. “To you?” he asks, curious. “What would you want with a human like me?” Surely Nao isn’t going to eat him?

“I find myself rather intrigued by you,” Nao confesses, winding his arms around Natsuya’s neck, leaving Natsuya no choice but to seize the serpent’s narrow waist lest he topple right over the edge of Nao’s tail and hit his head on the rocks. Nao leans in close to murmur, “I want to keep you.”

Swallowing thickly, Natsuya considers his options. Spend his life miserably ruling over a kingdom he never wanted, with a queen at his side he could never love chosen by his father’s advisors, and holding his younger brother back when Ikuya has a much stronger head for duty and the good of the people – or he could give this gorgeous, magical, possibly deadly creature whatever he asks for, and Natsuya can live the rest of his life at sea, doing whatever he pleases. The third option is, in Natsuya’s mind, he takes too long making a decision and Nao just eats him, but the fact that he still finds that a more attractive option than being deposited back in his father’s kingdom solidifies which choice is the right one.

“What’s the cost?” Natsuya asks breathlessly, his fingers accidentally tightening around Nao, digging into that cold, slippery skin edging onto razor sharp scales. “I’ll pay any price – my voice, my eyes, my _heart._ I don’t want to ever go back.”

Nao breaks into a smile, pleased and happy and full of teeth that could shred Natsuya to pieces in seconds. “Give me your heart, and I will set you free,” Nao promises, dragging one hand down Natsuya’s chest to press a finger to the skin over his heart. He can feel the warmth of it, the strong, steady beat under his fingers. Merfolk don’t have souls the way the human folk do, the hearts of Nao’s kin beat with salt water and freezing blood, holding no warmth or spirit inside. Nao had heard that humans often gave their hearts freely, but he never expected it to be this easy.

“It’s yours,” Natsuya says without hesitation.

“Then we have a deal,” Nao purrs before capturing Natsuya’s lips in a kiss. “Your heart belongs to me, and I will grant you your freedom. Your brother will be returned to the kingdom, where he will become king. No one will remember that you existed at all.”

Natsuya gasps. “No one at all?” He swallows. “Not even Ikuya?”

Just for a moment, Nao’s eyes glaze over, his lips twitching as if speaking to someone somewhere else. “Well,” he says aloud, eyes snapping back to focus on Natsuya’s face. “Perhaps your brother. It seems one of my kin has taken his job a little to seriously.” He shakes his head fondly. “Do you agree to the terms?”

“I do,” Natsuya says, relieved that his brother will not forget him. “Take it.”

“Very well,” Nao murmurs, the tip of his clawed finger starting to pierce Natsuya’s skin. “I will take your heart. You will be like me, and you will be free to explore the ocean to your heart’s content. You may even see your brother again.”

Natsuya has one last question. “Can I stay with you?” he asks quietly, and presses his palms flat to the small of Nao’s back. “You say you wish to keep me, that you find me intriguing. What if I think the same of you?”

“You want to keep me?” Nao’s face is curious, his inhuman eyes sparkling in the low light of the cave.

Natsuya nods. “Yes.”

“Very well.” Nao curls his hand into Natsuya’s hair. “Come and claim what is yours, then.”

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhh. Yeah. Please comment and leave kudos!


End file.
